2 Samuel 11

2 Samuel 11:1

II. DAVID’S FALL (Chaps. 11, 12) A. Crimes Against Bathsheba and Uriah (Chap. 11)11:1-5 David’s notorious moral lapse was occasioned, writes the venerable commentator Matthew Henry, by three things: (1) “Neglect of his business”; (2) “Love of ease and the indulgence of a slothful temper”; (3) “A wandering eye.” Instead of going to battle against the Ammonites in the spring of the year, . . . David sent Joab against them while he himself remained idly at home. Times of idleness are often times of greatest temptation. One evening . . . he looked out from the roof of his palace and saw a . . . beautiful . . . woman bathing. Inquiry revealed that she was Bathsheba, . . . the wife of Uriah, one of David’s mighty warriors.

David sent for her and committed adultery with her. She purified herself from her ceremonial defilement, then returned to her house. When she found out she was pregnant, she sent the news to David. 11:6-13 The king then plotted to hide his sin. First he called Uriah back from the war, pretending that he wanted to hear of the progress of Joab and the army. After Uriah had answered his questions, David instructed him to return home, hoping that he would have intercourse with Bathsheba. Then when the baby was born, Uriah would think that it was his own child. But Uriah upset David’s plans. Instead of returning home, he slept at the door of the king’s house; he did not feel he could enjoy the comforts of home as long as his nation was at war. In desperation David . . . made Uriah drunk, but the faithful soldier still refused to go home. Uriah’s loyalty and faithfulness stand in marked contrast to the king’s treachery. 11:14-17 Then David stooped to his lowest act of infamy. He ordered Uriah to carry a letter to Joaba letter which contained Uriah’s death sentence. The king ordered Joab to put Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, where death would be inevitable. Then Uriah would not be alive to disown the baby that would be born. Joab directed the battle so that Uriah would be sure to be killed. He ordered his troops to advance, then called both flanks to withdraw. As Uriah and his men in the center moved forward, they were easy targets for the Ammonites on the wall. Militarily it was ridiculous, but it succeeded in eliminating Uriah as well as many other loyal servants of David. 11:18-21 When Joab sent news back to David, he knew the king would be angered by the military defeat. David would say, “Why did you approach so near to the city? Didn’t you remember how Abimelech, the son of Gideon (Jerubbesheth) was killed when he did this very thing?” (see Jdg_9:50-55.) So Joab instructed the messenger to forestall the king’s wrath by adding, “Your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.” This would make David forget about the military reverses of the day. 11:22-25 The messenger reported to David as instructed. Then he was told to carry back a message to Joab, saying that military reverses are inevitable and that Uriah’s death should not cause grief because in warfare the sword devours indiscriminately. Thus David hypocritically tried to hide his deep guilt “with a fatalistic comment about the inevitability and capriciousness of death.” After the customary time of mourning, David sent for Bathsheba to become his wife. Sometime later, the baby was born. That the Scriptures report this incident from the life of David is an indicator of their faithfulness. They give us an honest and uncut view of God’s people the way they really were, warts and all (Daily Notes of the Scripture Union).